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3 octobre 2024

The English Topic

31 sujets de 281 à 311 (sur un total de 311)
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  • #308760
    tadpole
    Membre

    So I guess same old, same old for everyone then ….. 😀

    #308761
    tadpole
    Membre

    Merry Christmas.

    My favorite ‘aussie’ christmas poem by Henry Lawson.

    THE FIRE AT ROSS’S FARM

    The squatter saw his pastures wide
    Decrease, as one by one
    The farmers moving to the west
    Selected on his run;
    Selectors took the water up
    And all the black soil round;
    The best grass land the squatter had
    Was spoilt by Ross’s ground.

    How many schemes the shift old Ross
    Had racked the Squatters brains,
    But Sandy had the stubburn blood
    Of Scotland in his viens;
    He held the land and fenced it in,
    He cleared and ploughed the soil,
    And year by year a richer crop
    Repaid him for his toil.

    Between the homes for many years
    The devil left his tracks:
    The squatter pounded Ross’s stock,
    And Sandy pounded Blacks.
    A well upon the lower run
    Was filled with earth and logs
    And Black laid baits about the farm
    to poison Ross’s dogs.

    It was indeed, a deadly fued
    Of class and creed and race
    So Fate supllied a Romeo
    And a Juliet in the case;
    And more than once accross the flats
    Beneath the Southern Cross
    Young Robert Black was seen to ride
    With pretty Jenny Ross.

    One Christmas time, when months of drought
    Had parched the western creeks,
    The bush fires stared in the north
    And travelled south for weeks
    At night along the river side
    The scene was grand and strange
    the hill fires looked like lightning streaks
    Of cities in the range.

    The cattle tracks between the trees
    Were like long dusky aisles
    And on a sudden breeze the fire
    Would sweep along for miles
    Like sounds of distant musketry
    It crackled through the brakes
    And o’er the flat of silver grass
    It hissed like angry snakes.

    It leapt accross the flowing streams
    And traced the pastures through
    It climbed the trees, and lit the boughs,
    And fierce and fiercer it grew.
    the bees fell stifled in the smoke
    Or perished in thier hives
    And with the stock of kangaroos
    Went flying for thier lives.

    The had set of Christmas Eve,
    When throught the scrub lands wide
    Young Robert Black came riding home
    As only natives ride
    He galloped to the homestead door
    And gave the first alarm
    « The fire is past the granite spur,
    And close to Ross’s farm »

    « Now Father send the men at once,
    the won’t be needed here,
    Poor Ross’s wheat is all he has
    To pull him through the year »
    « Then let it burn » the squatter said
    « I’d like to see it done-
    I’d bless the fire if it would clear
    Selectors from the run.

    « Go if you will » the squatter said,
    « You shall not take the men-
    Go out and join your precious friends,
    But don’t come here again ».
    « I won’t come back » young Robert cried,
    And reckless in his ire,
    He sharply turned his horses head
    And galloped towards the fire.

    And there for three long weary hours,
    Half blind with smoke and heat,
    Old Ross and Robert fought the flames
    That nearned the ripened wheat.
    The farmer’s hand was nerved by fear,
    Of danger and of loss;
    And Robert fought the stubborn foe
    For love of Jenny Ross.

    But serpent like the curves and lines
    Slipped past them, and between
    Until they reached the boundary where
    The old coach road had been.
    The track is now our only hope
    There we must stand cried Ross
    For naught on earth can stop the fire
    If once it gets across.

    Then came a cruel gust of wind,
    And, with a fiendish rush,
    The flames lept o’er the narrow path
    And lit the fence of brush.
    « The crop must burn » the farmer cried
    « We cannot save it now »
    And down upon the blackened ground
    He dashed his ragged bough.

    But widly in a rush of hope
    His heart began to beat,
    For o’er the crackling fire he heard
    the sound of horses feet.

    « Here’s help at last » young Robert cried
    And even as he spoke
    The squatter with a dozen men
    Came racing through the smoke

    Down on the ground the stockmen jumped
    And bared each brawny arm;
    They tore green branches from the trees
    And fought for Ross’s farm;
    And when before the gallant band
    The beaten flames gave way.
    Two grimy hands in friendship joined-
    And it was Christmas Day.

    #308762
    Buell
    Participant

    How on earth is it possible that everybody is asleep around here??? 😮 😮

    Mate!! Wake up!! It’s Australia Day!!

    Well just to wish you all a happy Australian Day 😉

    I’ve posted another message on the forum, as some wished it to those downunder, i had to wish it to us ozzies in France :mdr:

    /sujet/australia-day-2

    #308763
    Kate09
    Membre

    Hi Buell, Hi Tadpole & others.

    Yes, it IS time to wake up…holidays are over (for some).

    I’m off tomorrow with my new Kayak to the Glenelg River near the Vic/SA southern border, where there’s actually still some water to Kayak IN 😆
    And while we’re there, we’ll go snorkelling (plongee a tuba) in some really cool sinkholes near Mt Gambier, which is also a fascinating place.
    It’s supposed to be 28 degrees C, so I hope….

    What did everybody else do over Xmas? Any good holidays?

    Kate

    #308764
    tadpole
    Membre

    🙂 Yeh, happy belated Australia Day. I was supposed to go into Paris for the Paris aussie ex pat meetup club night out at Café OZ but didnt get around to it! I almost even forgot it was Australia Day if my sister hadnt called me (her being over there and having the day off)

    Not been up to much, the weather is so mild at the moment I cant believe we are in January. 😆

    Still up to the same old stuff, taking the kids to school, cleaning house, the occassional movie and restaurant or girls night out. I made some anzac bikkies yesterday with my four year old who mixed and poured. I used up the last of my golden syrup so i’ll have to get some more as I want to make some chocolate caramel slice this weekend. YUMMY!!!

    #308765
    OzBoy
    Membre

    Hey !

    How’z everybody doing ?

    #308766
    Kate09
    Membre

    Hey Oz Boy, nice to see you!
    I’m going great – speaking a fair bit of French at the moment with a few French guests in my B & B. How about you? What are you up to?

    Kate

    #308767
    tadpole
    Membre

    Hi all, Ive been absent too long! Had to go at least four pages to find the topic again.

    How is everyone? Kate, where are you? Oz, France, or Switzerland??

    #308768
    flasher
    Membre

    Out Off Topic 🙁

    can you believed???

    Possibly this was few pictures about performance update, that wanted to be asked about me their system, possibly in this forum there are those that knew them or the gathered model with them please give information to me(‘roll’)

    Statement

    Regard

    #308769
    Kate09
    Membre
    tadpole wrote:
    Hi all, Ive been absent too long! Had to go at least four pages to find the topic again.

    How is everyone? Kate, where are you? Oz, France, or Switzerland??

    Hi Tadpole, nice to see you again!
    I’m here in good old Oz, enjoying the blue, sunny Easter weather (it can’t last much longer). Today I’m off Kayaking in a lake near Colac which has platypus in it….

    Kate

    #308770
    tadpole
    Membre

    Hi all.

    Flasher; did not understand one word of what you said. This is the ENGLISH topic, not the extra terrestrial topic. 😮 😛

    hiya Kate, we have been having gorgeous weather over here in france. I have joined an english speakers association here in my region, Ive met two other aussie girls, couple of americans, a few poms…
    We have a few girls nights out, get togethers with the kids, play groups, morning coffees etc. Its great!! Its sooo good to speak english again. One of the ozzie gals is leaving this week for Oz so she is bringing me back some violet crumbles!!! YAY!! 😆 😆 If she can manage not to eat them all on the plane on the way back, they are her favorite too. (my mouth in already watering in anticipation!!)

    Glad to hear your busieness is working, you must send me the address or give me the web link if you have one so I can suggest it to friends and family.

    Have you heard from Go Oz?? He is the creator of this topic after all.

    #308771
    HIRON mid
    Membre

    Hi

    I see English’s topics it’s fun for we to learn englis befor to travel in australia

    I’ll like to speak with you for to learn

    thanks

    my english is not good please corret me 😆

    #308772
    Kate09
    Membre

    Hi Tadpole,

    That’s great you have been able to join an English speaking club and can even find other Aussies to chat to.
    The website for my B & B, it’s http://www.maisonlagerche.com
    I don’t have many guests at the moment because it is winter, and also I just got a job last week (assisting francophone refugees from Togo who have arrived in my city to live). It’s really great.

    Hiron, welcome to you too. Yes, sometimes we can help you correct your English too.

    Regards,
    Kate

    #308773
    tadpole
    Membre

    Welcome to the english topic Hiron mid.

    Its nice your helping refugees Kate. Doesnt it feel good doing something for someone else, its very self satisfiying as well.

    Going to have a night out at the races at Vincennes on June 1st with my association, husbands and wives this time, they have hired out one of the panoramic restaurants over looking the races, we get free parking, free tour of the paddocks and stalls (yey!!!) and a 15 meter screen to watch the races and our betted horses. Im soooo looking forward to it, havent been to the races or seen a horse race since a Melbourne Cup day.

    #308774
    HIRON mid
    Membre

    thanks evrybody

    I’m looser in English but I find it’s beautiful language
    and for australia I think I’ll use lot héhéhé

    I don’t understand all you write it’s so hard for me 😕 😕

    I need a coach 😛

    #308775
    siryanne
    Membre

    Personnally I understand rather well what you all write but I have huge difficulties to speak. I know my sentences are wrong, they are constructed like French ones. But I hope Australians will understand me even though ^^

    #308776
    siryanne
    Membre

    Hehe 🙂

    I hope I’ll understand this famous accent quickly!
    I’m not sure I‘ll be so nice when they ask me to repeat a thousand times! 😆

    #308777
    BalZ
    Participant

    ‘ssup ?

    #308778
    siryanne
    Membre

    Eeeeerrr… what does that mean BalZ please?

    Filoux, I meant I’ll be very embarrassed if they don’t understand me, but not agressive 😛

    #308779
    BalZ
    Participant

    It means Whats s up?

    =)

    #308780
    siryanne
    Membre

    Aaah okay I catch now! (do we say that? Catch? for « understand »?)

    #308781
    siryanne
    Membre

    Ah, yes, « get it », that’s it! Thanks ^^

    #308782
    oz_dreamer
    Membre

    G’day!

    I’m new in the forum….So i guess i should shortly introduce myself 😀

    I’m 22. I live in Switzerand and i’m a student. I went to Oz last year and it was the best experience of my life… I totally love this country… In fact it was my dream since i was 10 . 🙂

    Hope you could help me practising my english…

    see ya
    oz_dreamer

    #308783
    Kate09
    Membre

    Welcome Oz Dreamer. Glad you loved Australia so much. Myself, I love Switzerland very much too and have several good friends there.

    Have fun on the forums,
    Regards,
    Kate

    #308784
    Laeti
    Membre

    Hey guys!

    Sorry if you have already heard about this link but I am visiting “the English topic” for the first time. I have been in Australia for more than one year and a half and I am aware I still have hips of things to learn. I was that bored that I just had a test on the following link: http://www.e-anglais.com/tests/index.html
    I think this is a pretty good website and they have tests which should suit every level…

    #308785
    siryanne
    Membre

    I scored better at « intermédiaire » level than at beginner level 😆

    *don’t want to mention the difficult level… 😳 *

    #308786
    tadpole
    Membre

    ooops, havent been back on the forum since this summer, and here is my english topic way away on page number 8!!

    Where is Kate?? Where is Ozboy?? Does no one want the english language any more??

    Anyway, hope you are all fine. Im good, still same old, same old. Planning a trip to Oz and NZ for chrissy and new years follow up 2008. Hoping to hire a camping car and drive up the east coast. Should be interesting with three kids (yes I said three!! number three is on the way and will already have popped out by then).

    I will try to come more often than I have been. Ive been rather lazy. 😛

    Hello to any new comers who might discover this topic after it being buried for so long! 🙂

    #308787
    effisk
    Participant

    G’day! Long time no speak.

    I moved to Biarritz, bought a flat, am now surfing a couple of times a week, what more could I ask for? 😎

    #308788
    tadpole
    Membre

    😆 Lucky you!! I can just imagine that living there is paradise for you effisk. Glad you’ve got everything you wanted. Maybe all you need is a surfer gal gorgeous sun kissed wife and a little surfer dude kid?? 😆 whose first word would be ‘gnarley!!’

    #308789
    effisk
    Participant
    tadpole wrote:
    Maybe all you need is a surfer gal gorgeous sun kissed wife

    got that already 😉

    tadpole wrote:
    and a little surfer dude kid?? 😆 whose first word would be ‘gnarley!!’

    that part will come in time 😉

    #308790
    Kate09
    Membre

    Hi everybody,

    Tadpol, congrats for number 3 on its way and happy holiday planning.
    I’ve been disappeared from the internet for quite a while – marriage break up and a whole lot of stress with it, but now I’m much happier and calmer…and living in my own B & B like a guest! Not the ideal situation for a getaway, but I realize now why my guests loved my B & B so much…nice ambiance, great views, and it’s the one place left that I really feel ‘at home’ .

    I’m around a bit more online now, but don’t have much internet access, as that’s in the downstairs part of my old house, so have to wait till the ex goes to work to use that.

    Effisk, congrats too on your new place to live. Sounds like it could be you’ve found the lifestyle move you travelled the world to find.

    Best wishes,
    Kate

31 sujets de 281 à 311 (sur un total de 311)
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